Iowa Baptist Conference
eNewsletter |
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Dear Friends,
This eNewsletter comes to you from the
district office of the Iowa Baptist
Conference... keeping pastors and
leaders informed of activities across
the state... and opportunities and
resources available through the IBC &
the BGC.
If you are NOT viewing this in HTML
format... you are missing a LOT!
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THANKSGIVING! |
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aNEWthing! Task
Force Meeting...
by Skip Hansen,
Director of Transition
THANKSGIVING takes
on a new historic proportion in Iowa!
After months of personal
investigation by more than 150
individuals from 33 churches... 89
members of the aNEWthing!
TASK FORCE, from 26 IBC churches, met
face-to-face on Saturday, November 15.
They came prepared to spend the day
before the Lord and before one another.
As a result, the Presence of God was
truly evident!
The day began with six
courses-of-action posted on the wall.
Passion and "positions" were clearly
articulated!
As the day wore on, one
course-of-action after another was
removed from the wall, until only two
remained.
At the end, each member walked to
the front, and posted their individual
mark on the course-of-action that they
believed God had best provided as
aNEWthing!
for Iowa.
Overwhelmingly (82%,) they
established the counsel and advice that
Iowa Baptist Conference should seek to
merge with Minnesota Baptist
Conference.
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NEXT STEPS -
2008-09 |
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Moving Forward... from
the Director of Transition, Skip Hansen
On Monday evening, November 24, the
IBC Board of Overseers unanimously accepted the
TASK FORCE 
counsel, and voted to authorize the Director of
Transition to begin a course of action
potentially leading to a merger with the
Minnesota Baptist Conference, and the formation
of a NEW BGC district.
(Click
here to read MBC's merger proposal.)
NOTE: Iowa's official
determination as to whether said merger will
be consummated shall take place at IBC's
annual meeting in May, 2009. Following that
event, each church will independenctly make
their own determination regarding their
participation in the final outcome.
DURING THE INTERIM...
- A TRANSITION TEAM
will be appointed. Their primary task
will be to create an outline or "image"
of what the proposed new BGC district
would look like.
- Once that "image" is approved by the
IBC Board of Overseers, it will be
presented to our Iowa churches through
town hall meetings in late winter... and
will then be voted on at the annual
meeting on May 1-2, 2009, at Union Park
Baptist Church, Des Moines.
- IBC and PLCC will continue to "do
business" as usual until a date
determined in the future. Catch that!
IBC MINISTRIES ARE CONTINUING STRONG!
CAMP IS UP AND RUNNING NEXT
SUMMER!
- IBC and MBC discussions will be held
at a district-to-district level (through
the TRANSITION TEAM.)
- IBC camp staff members will be
enjoying the opportunity to share
operational ideas and mutual
encouragement with the staff at Trout
Lake-one of BGC's premier camping
ministries.
ENJOY AN EMERGING FRIENDSHIP...
Some IBC individuals and churches
have already expressed their desire to
"communicate" with various parties in
Minnesota. I say two things-enjoy! and
engage much caution! It would be
unfair, even damaging, to the process,
to "presume" the outcome... before the
outcome is decided!
I ask that any such communications
be clearly identified as
church-to-church... or
individual-to-individual... avoiding any
impression of presumption, or creating
district commitments or expressing
district-level policies. We don't want
our beloved autonomy to create unlovely
chaos!
TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT...
There are MANY important
district-level topics that will be
addressed by the Transition Team. You
may want to suggest additional topics.
The following list is not complete...
but illustrates the broad spectrum of
issues that have already been identified
for examination and resolution:
- The value of LEAD teams
- Pastoral Placement Process-MPN
- Office software licensing
- Existing Staff Members
- Pine Lake TimeShare
- Property disposal (both camp &
closed churches)
- Impacting Generation Y How to get
younger adults involved in leadership
- Breakaway and other "stand alone"
ministries
- Church planting
- Philosophy of Camping
ESTABLISHING a TIMELINE...
Up to this point, some might
say we have been the "masters of our own
fate," in the sense that we have created
our own timelines. Now, we are working
with others... and facing the winter...
and the holidays!
As the timeline becomes clear, we will
strive to communicate it broadly.
Linda and I pray God's richest blessings
on this Thanksgiving Season! Over the
weekend, we will be travelling to
Fosston, MN to facilitate a LEADERSHIP
Retreat for Fosston Baptist Church.
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OUR DAILY BREAD |
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 God's
Provisions...
by Roger Sutton, Director,
Pine Lake Camp
"This then is how you should pray: ... Give us
today our daily bread." Matt. 6:9 and 11. It's
November... a time when we focus on
thanksgiving. I thank God for the way I can see
Him, working through many of you, your families
and your churches to provide the "daily bread,"
gifts, service, time, talents, resources and
knowledge to make the ministry, the place, Pine
Lake Christian Camp possible.
Over the years I've had to learn that God would
provide "...all we need, for every good work"
(II Cor. 9:8, my paraphrase) just when we need
it. Just when I start to get anxious about a
project, think I'm going to have to shift into
over-drive to get something done, the right
crew, with the right skills shows up! It's
challenging and exciting to watch gifts come in
that way too.
As we face the end of our busy season, press
through winter and drive toward the end of our
fiscal year there is an opportunity for you to
provide our daily bread. Today's calculations,
if all goes as hoped and plan indicates that
there will be a need for $30,000 by March 31 to
meet the financial needs. Even in the winter,
there are service opportunities, projects that
we can tackle.
Click here for a link that will allow you to
make an online gift, or you may mail a gift
to Pine Lake Christian Camp, 32203 230th St.,
Eldora, Ia. 50627 If you would like to join
others in an annual commitment, or if you have
time and talents to offer, please call me for
details, 641-849-5553.
Thank you for your faithful gifts, service and
prayers. Please join me in watching to see how
God blesses us all with "our daily bread."
Roger
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WEBSITE COMMUNICATION |
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Don't forget to
check the IBC Website
for the latest updates regarding
process and progress...
As
we seek God's direction for
"aNEWthing!'
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS |
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 Looking
Ahead...
- December 9 - IBC Board of Overseers - Ph
Conf
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January 17 - IBC Board of Overseers -
Meeting at Pine Lake
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January 16-18 - Sr High Winter Retreat
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January 24-26 - Juniors Winter Retreat
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February 6-8 - Jr High Winter Retreat
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February 3 - IBC Board of Overseers - Ph
Conf
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March 7 - IBC Board of Overseers - Meeting
at Pine Lake
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March 27-29 - IBC Scrapbooking Weekend
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April 7 - IBC Board of Overseers - Ph Conf
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April 30-May 1 - IBC State-wide LEAD Team
Meeting (Union Park, D.M.)
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May 1-2 - IBC Annual Meeting - (Union Park,
D.M.)
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May 22-25 - Memorial Day Family Retreat
Weekend
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June 14-19 - Juniors Camp
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June 21-26 - Sixers Camp
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June 28-July1 - Base Camp
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July 3-5 - 4th of July Family Retreat
Weekend
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July 5-10 - Jr High Camp
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July 12-17 - Sr High Camp
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September 18-20 - IBC Men's Retreat
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September 25-27 - IBC Women's Retreat
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MINISTRY
RESOURCES |
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Following are brief summaries of
some GREAT ministry tools.
You can check out additional
resources at the IBC website in
regard to:
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RETOOL KIT
is a BGC resource
designed to help churches become
all that God wants for them. It
is not a program... it is a
pathway... guided by a trained
Mobilization Coach who helps the
church discover and develop
healthy leaders, a biblical
community, and a clear vision
for the future.
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of the the end results is a
clearer vision for ministry,
along with a three year future
plan. Additional outcomes are
the changing of the church's
DNA, spiritual growth, (both
personally and corporately),
stronger community, and more
effective Kingdom impact.
For more information, contact
Pastor Jeff Scherer,
IBC Director of Mobilization
at: 319-290-6874 or
jeffscherer6@msn.com
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SHALOM HOUSE is
a pastoral retreat center in New
London, WI
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facilitated by Pinnacle
Ministries and providing a
comfortable, safe place for rest,
refreshment and renewal for those in
ministry - based on the philosophy
that the health of our
churches, and ultimately our
communities, rests in the strength
and refreshment of our pastors.
Pinnacle Ministries
offers three levels of services...
from just "hanging out" to
professional counseling services.
Shalom House can
also be utilized for church
board and leadership retreats,
church staff training, missionaries
and their families, and pastoral
sabbaticals.
If your pastor doesn't know about
Shalom, please tell him or her about
it - better yet, send them
for a refreshing, relaxing break to
recharge their batteries for future
ministry!
For more information, go to:
www.theshalomhouse.org
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QUIET WATERS MINISTRIES -
offers a FREE,
24 hour a day, 7 days a week,
confidential phone consulting
resource for BGC pastors and home
assignment missionaries called
CARELINE -
funded jointly by IBC & BGC
 Call
866.526.2222 to be
put in touch with a licensed doctor
or master's level counselor from
Quiet Waters Ministries
to talk about EITHER
personal OR congregational
matters.
Services are available for up to 3 hrs
of assessment and consultation via
telephone per isolated incident per
year.
All communication with the
denomination, regarding these
services is consistent with
confidentiality laws and
requirements, and with BGC's
policies and guidelines.
For more information about
Quiet Waters, go to:
www.qwaters.org
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BGC CORNERSTONE FUND
is a ministry
of the Baptist General Conference
with a mission
 to
extend BGC ministries - by providing
loans for building/remodeling
projects within our conference
churches and ministry centers.
Our ministry is possible because of
the support of our investors, who
receive competitive rates compared
to like term investments and have
the satisfaction of knowing that
their investment is being used to
help expand ministries of the BGC.
For more information, go to:
www.bgccornerstonefund.org
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CHRISTIAN LIBRARY
INTERNATIONAL
is a Raleigh, NC, based ministry
that distributes
 used
Christian books (fiction and
non-fiction), Christian music tapes,
Sermon tapes, CDs, DVDs, video
tapes, bible study materials, and
tracts to prisons, shelters and
international missions free of
charge.
What a
great way to "recycle" those dust
collecting books! For more
information, to to:
www.cli-nc.org
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CHERISH CENTER
is a ministry of Shepherd's
Fold - providing housing,
counseling, nurturing, training, and
spiritual guidance to young ladies
experiencing the crisis of an
unplanned pregnancy. They have the
capacity to care for six girls at a
time for a period of 3-6 months.
And because they are supported by
individuals and churches, they have
the freedom to make Christ central
in the home and in the training.
The Executive Director, Jan
Turner, is a member of the
Milford Baptist Church
and is also their worship
director. She has seen this project
through the from the very beginnings
- property purchase, building
construction and equipping, and
staffing. In their first year of
operation they served eight girls.
Shepherd's Fold
Ministries, Inc., is a
local, interdenominational,
non-profit corporation working
to provide a home and a
hope for young mothers in
need, located in northwest
Iowa.
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 IOWA
BAPTIST CONFERENCE
Magnifying God by Mobilizing &
Multiplying a Growing Family of Healthy Churches! |
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